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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26874808">A Special Gift</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/serkysutcliff/pseuds/serkysutcliff'>serkysutcliff</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Female Pronouns for Grell Sutcliff, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Height Differences, Lingerie, POV Third Person Limited, Secret Santa, Slow Burn, Trans Female Character, Trans Grell Sutcliff, WILL GETS LINGERIE FOR GRELL BUT IT'S WHOLESOME, six thousand words of me simping for grell and will while grell and will also simp for each other</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:47:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,026</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26874808</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/serkysutcliff/pseuds/serkysutcliff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>William has been assigned as Grell's Secret Santa. Whatever shall he get her?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>William T. Spears/Grell Sutcliff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>99</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Special Gift</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>i actually wrote this like three months ago and i've only just got round to posting it because people liked my previous fic! (On Her Deathbed)</p><p>this fic is very very self-indulgent but i hope you enjoy it!</p><p>ugh i'm terrible at titles, please suggest a new one. genuinely i'm begging you</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>William T. Spears had not expected to find himself standing at the entrance of a women’s clothes shop just a few days before Christmas. He had not expected to find himself standing there whatsoever, regardless of the date, but there he was, and to say he was mortified would be a terrible understatement.</p><p>The reason for his being there was actually quite simple: the Grim Reaper Dispatch Association held an annual Secret Santa, and against his wishes, William had been roped into participating. At first, he had thought nothing of it; it’s easy enough to buy someone a nice book or spectacle case, after all. But the name that William had pulled out of the hat had been quite an abrupt wrench in this plan—a fiery red one, to be precise.</p><p>
  <em>Grell Sutcliff.</em>
</p><p>A nice book or spectacle case just wasn’t going to cut it.</p><p>Fortunately, albeit to his chagrin, William was well aware of all the things that Grell held dear from her many one-sided conversations with him: her clothes, her makeup, her hair products and her beloved death scythe. However, she already had more than enough of the first three things, and apart from chainsaw oil, he hadn’t any idea of what he could contribute to her death scythe.</p><p>This had left one thing William knew for a fact Grell did not own much of: lingerie. He only knew this because the Dispatch would never allow her to purchase such items on her professional account, and she did not work enough overtime to have her own savings. So, lingerie it had to be.</p><p>On his way to the shop—he had elected a fairly busy day, so as to be easily forgotten without the crowd—he had stopped and wondered quite a few times as to <em>why </em>he was putting in so much effort. It wasn’t as if he had ever accorded Grell such generosity before, let alone to dwell on what kind of Christmas gift would be the most suitable.</p><p>Simply to have the issue off his mind for good, he told himself.</p><p>‘Ah! There you are, Mr Spears!’ Ronald’s blond head appeared in the bustling London street as he beckoned his superior.</p><p>William internally cursed the boy’s absolute lack of discretion. He couldn’t say anything; he had asked Ronald to be there, because unfortunately, though he would never admit it, William knew absolutely nothing about the ins and outs of more… intimate clothing, as he had never had a reason to learn about it. Ronald, on the other hand, he knew was far more educated in such matters, although it grieved him to know that the younger reaper placed so much importance on them rather than his work.</p><p>He accorded Ronald a polite nod, his face remaining as stone-like as ever.</p><p>‘You know, sir,’ Ronald continued cheerfully, now standing beside William, ‘if I may say so, I’m absolutely chuffed that you’ve finally found a woman!’</p><p>William’s eyebrow twitched, and he clenched his teeth as discretely as possible. He had not told Ronald that this was his Secret Santa gift for Grell, because if he were to, he knew that he would <em>never </em>hear the end of it. So, he had passed it off as him encountering a ‘lady friend’.</p><p>‘Indeed,’ is all he replied. He was becoming more and more irritable by the second. ‘Shall we go in?’ He wanted this task to be <em>over </em>and <em>done with</em>.</p><p>‘Sure thing!’</p><p>William opened the shop door and walked in, swiftly followed by Ronald, and within seconds the two reapers were hit with a veritable cacophony of perfumes. Ronald seemed to welcome it at once, but William had to fight the urge to sneeze. There were a few customers already in the shop, primarily young to middle-aged women, occasionally picking dresses from the racks and holding them up to their or their friends’ bodies, quietly exchanging compliments and remarks about the clothing. A few men were inside as well, which comforted William a little, although they all seemed to be accompanying wives or partners of some description. He and Ronald were quite evidently the odd ones out, with their sharp black suits and modern spectacles. They did not have their scythes with them, for obvious reasons, but they still stuck out like sore thumbs. A woman who the older reaper assumed to be the store owner instantly singled them out.</p><p>‘My, my, a pair of gentlemen!’ she said kindly, walking over to them. She was only an inch or so shorter than William, and the soft lines in her features were more evidence of maturity than anything elderly. Her auburn hair was kept in a tight bun, and the long-sleeved, emerald-coloured dress she was wearing was elegant and modest whilst retaining her shape’s allure. ‘What can I do for you both? Are you looking for a gift for a fiancée, perhaps? I have a wonderful selection of dresses and coats, fur-lined and perfect for the winter months!’</p><p>‘My friend here is actually looking for something with a few <em>less</em> layers,’ Ronald said with a smirk, patting William on the shoulder. William nearly choked on his own breath and had to clear his throat to cover up his torment.</p><p>‘Oh, I <em>see</em>,’ said the store owner, grinning in a similarly mischievous way. ‘Our more… <em>intimate </em>collection is just around here. Please, come this way.’</p><p>She led them through the shop’s aisles, and what were rows of dresses soon became more along the lines of stockings and accessories, until finally they reached an area at the back of shop, partially secluded from the rest of the store, which William swore he nearly turned around and abandoned right that very instant.</p><p>White lace, frills and bows filled the area, composing the collection of garters, corsets and underwear. Each item was delicately handmade, intricate embroidered patterns of swirls and floral arrangements adorning them, giving their risqué nature a more elegant and virtuous touch. Their colours ranged from whites to pastel pinks and blues, certainly to match that ideal of purity expected of women, although William definitely spied a few darker pieces concealed by the rest of the collection. Ronald let out a whistle.</p><p>‘Well, you’ve certainly got some options, Mr Spears!’ he remarked.</p><p>William adjusted his spectacles awkwardly. ‘Quite.’</p><p>‘Well, I shall leave you gentlemen to it. Do come and find me, should there be anything you need.’ The store owner gave them a smile, then left them to their own devices.</p><p>William needed a moment to compose himself. What on <em>Earth </em>had beckoned him to choose <em>this </em>as Grell’s gift? Why couldn’t he have just bought her a pair of gloves and been done with it? It wasn’t too late to turn around and leave. Yes, he could just do that. And if he crossed the store owner’s path, he would apologise, say he couldn’t find anything, and—</p><p>‘Hey, Mr Spears, what about this one?’</p><p>The voice snapped William out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see Ronald holding a <em>very </em>revealing, light pink corset against himself. Very revealing, indeed: it didn’t even have an area for a bust!</p><p>‘Absolutely not!’ he said, face flushed. How could Ronald pick up such items with so little shame, he wondered!</p><p>Ronald laughed. ‘Alright, alright.’ He put it back on the rack with the rest. ‘It would help if you told me what kind of thing your lady friend likes, though.’</p><p>This made William stop and think. Well, he knew she liked red, but he didn’t want to open with that, because Ronald would instantly catch on. The young reaper may be an idiot in many regards, but he wasn’t a total idiot, either.</p><p>He tried to think about her various outfit choices, and if there were any connections or patterns between them. She liked the freedom of her long, loose coat, and she was never seen without the bow adorning her neck, was she? And her waistcoat was a masculine piece of clothing that she had kept from her previous butler façade, and it hugged her lean figure tightly, so clearly she remained unbothered by her less… voluptuous nature, as was unfortunately dictated by Nature at her birth. Instead, she was quite happy to flaunt her slim stature. And another point that popped into William’s head: although she was quick to fall for any handsome man, he remembered her giving remarks as to how despite this, she would never give herself up so easily.</p><p>
  <em>She was a lady, after all!</em>
</p><p>William cleared his throat after having stayed silent for so long, Ronald waiting patiently. ‘Something… sophisticated,’ he began, ‘but that remains seductive, with less focus on the bust, and more on the shape of the body as a whole.’</p><p>Ronald grinned. ‘You’ve thought hard about that, haven’t you, sir?’</p><p>‘Are you going to assist me or not?’ his superior growled in response.</p><p>The younger reaper gave him a mock salute. ‘Of course!’ He turned to browse the clothing again, but then asked another question. ‘Any ideas of colour or details?’</p><p>William had to physically swallow his anxiety. ‘Something with a bow?’</p><p>Ronald nodded in understanding, then returned to his search. William let out a sigh of relief and sat on one of the available stools, already feeling exhausted.</p><p>‘Ooh, I think you’ll like this one!’</p><p>William looked up and in the direction Ronald’s voice was coming from, and when his eyes found was his subordinate was holding, he felt like his brain short-circuited.</p><p>It was some kind of amalgamation between a corset and very short dress, with a delicate, lace skirt just long enough to conceal one’s lower intimacies. The bust area was shaped like the top of a heart, complimenting the wearer’s sculpture, but William noticed that the cups weren’t moulded or shaped; rather, they were designed to fit the shape of the body within the clothing. A line of silver clasps ran down the middle, from the very bottom to the very top of the corset—reminiscent of a waistcoat—and at the central dip of the bust’s heart was an elegant bow, presumably for a partner to undo in order to access the first clasp.</p><p>William couldn’t believe how perfect it was. And yet, there was one simple, yet major problem: the garment’s shade was of a pure white, and not very ‘Grell’ at all.</p><p>Ronald noticed this hesitation on William’s features. ‘Something wrong, sir?’</p><p>‘It’s almost perfect,’ William said before he could stop himself. He stood up and glanced at the item’s number, which was on its tag—which also had the price, and which William consciously chose <em>not </em>to look at. ‘Stay here a moment.’</p><p>He ventured back into the main area of the shop, endeavouring to find the owner. It didn’t take long, and he patiently waited for her to finish speaking with a young couple before speaking.</p><p>‘Forgive me for bothering you again, madam.’</p><p>Upon seeing William, she smiled affectionately. ‘Not an issue at all, sir, I assure you. What can I help you with?’</p><p>‘There is one item that I believe suits what I’m looking for.’ He recited the number. ‘However, I did find the colour to match what my… lady friend… likes. Do you happen to have it in a shade of red—’</p><p>‘<em>Red</em>, you say?!’</p><p>Were he not already somewhat in an afterlife, William would have dropped dead right there and then. He whipped his head around to see Ronald behind him, the corset over one forearm, staring at him with wide eyes and a big, stupid, teeth-baring grin. ‘How <em>interesting!</em>’</p><p>‘Ronald, I told you to stay—’</p><p>‘Got bored.’</p><p>‘I was only gone for a second!’</p><p>Ronald shrugged, but the grin never left his face. Clearly, he was <em>extremely </em>glad that he had decided to follow William.</p><p>The store owner chuckled. ‘Well, well, the colour red certainly sounds significant to you both. I’m sure we can find that model in red, and if not, we could dye the white one for you, should you like.’</p><p>William’s face was flushed the exact shade he had been looking for. ‘Th-that would be most kind of you, thank you.’ He couldn’t bear to make eye contact with anyone anymore.</p><p>The store owner nodded in understanding, then took the corset from Ronald’s hold and retreated to the front desk to look through the stock lists. William almost wished that she had stayed with them, or that she had asked William to accompany her, because now he was left alone with a <em>very </em>mischievous-looking Ronald.</p><p>‘No <em>wonder </em>you didn’t tell me what colour you wanted!’ the young reaper exclaimed with glee.</p><p>‘Will you keep your voice down!’ He glanced from side to side, noticing how a few customers had turned to look at their commotion, and he quickly whispered apologies before grabbing Ronald by the scruff of his neck and taking him to a less populated part of the shop.</p><p>‘I know this is just for the Secret Santa, but <em>wow</em>, Mr Spears, I never thought you’d go to such lengths just for Miss Sutcliff—’</p><p>William clasped a gloved hand over Ronald’s mouth. ‘Stop talking before I double your workload and make sure you miss all but the end of your Christmas party!’</p><p>‘Aw, co’ o’, ‘ister S’ears, ‘at’s ‘ust crue’!’ came Ronald’s muffled reply.</p><p>William removed his hand, promptly wiping his palm with a handkerchief. He sighed, clenching his teeth. The cat truly was out of the bag.</p><p>‘Listen to me, Ronald.’ He fixed his subordinate with a deathly glare. ‘You shall not speak a word of this to <em>anyone</em>, do you understand?’</p><p>Ronald instantly gave him a salute. ‘Yes, sir!’ But he still possessed what William could only have described as a shit-eating grin.</p><p>‘What is it?’ he demanded, trying to mask the welling nervousness with authority.</p><p>‘I’ll keep my mouth shut, on one condition.’ He paused, knowing exactly how much he was tormenting his superior by doing so. ‘You have to buy Miss Sutcliff a full set of lingerie!’</p><p>William nearly choked on his own spit. ‘<em>What?</em>’</p><p>‘You heard me, Mr Spears! She’s been working awfully hard these past few weeks, and she’s more than made up for her old habits by now. She deserves a treat, don’t you think? Especially from you, who’s always chastising her!’</p><p>‘Ronald, I could suspend your pay from this day forward, if I truly wished to.’</p><p>‘Yes, but you won’t. Unless you want the entire Dispatch to know you’re buying Miss Sutcliff lingerie, of course.’</p><p>William narrowed his gaze. ‘I never thought you to be so cunning.’</p><p>Ronald shot him a grin. ‘Partially cunning, partially caring about Grell, partially <em>really </em>wanting to know what happens when you give it to her.’</p><p>William sighed, adjusting his spectacles, his eyebrow twitching furiously. ‘Fine. But you know that she won’t be aware it was I who bought her the gifts, don’t you?’</p><p>The young reaper gave him another smile. ‘Oh, I’m sure she won’t have a <em>clue</em>.’</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>It was the morning after Christmas, and William T. Spears was busy at work in his office. Grim reapers, although given time off work—which pleased the partying ones like Ronald and Grell to no end—did not receive holidays like other jobs did, and the Dispatch was expected to be functioning as normal on Boxing Day, despite the abundant hangovers. William, on the other hand, had managed to return to his rooms relatively sober, and was more than used to working tirelessly.</p><p>Working would help him forget all about the lingerie debacle, anyway.</p><p>Despite the absolute <em>hell </em>of alcohol and dancing that the Christmas party had been, William had been glad that so many of their division had shown up and participated in the Secret Santa—which means him getting Grell on such slim chances must truly have been a cruel trick from fate—because there had not been an official ‘gathering’ for the participants to open each other’s gifts. This meant William had been spared the torture of having Ronald stare at him while Grell unwrapped her gift, and as soon as he had seen the redhead pick up the box, he had made a beeline for the other side of the room, feeling Ronald’s eyes piercing his back as he did so.</p><p>Despite his distance, he had still heard Grell’s squeal of utter glee and excitement upon opening her gift, and, despite himself, he had smiled at the thought of having chosen something that would make her so happy. Then the realisation of <em>what </em>he had bought had her returned and he had swiftly downed a gulp of alcohol.</p><p>But that was that, he now thought, as he filled in some paperwork with a rather nice fountain pen he had received as his own Secret Santa gift.</p><p>
  <em>I shall never hear of this situation again—</em>
</p><p>‘Wiiiill!’</p><p>
  <em>Oh, dear.</em>
</p><p>The sound of heels walking down the corridor was promptly followed by that familiar call, and the swift opening of William’s office door revealed the very person William had not mentally prepared himself to see just yet.</p><p>Grell Sutcliff stood in the doorway, her long, flaming hair tumbling down her shoulders and back, rivalling the colour of that iconic coat she adored so, despite its history. Resting one hand on her hip, she was gazing at him with her usual bold flirtatiousness, but this time, those phosphorescent green eyes of her seemed to contain something a little more, William noticed. Before he could put his finger on it, she spoke.</p><p>‘Do you have a moment?’ Her question surprised William. Typically, she just barged in without a care for his schedule. Something had to be afoot.</p><p>‘I suppose so,’ he replied, his curiosity getting the better of him—but the curiosity was quickly replaced with a pang of horror. Had she discovered it was him? No, impossible: the whole point of a Secret Santa is that the gifter remains anonymous! He tried to set his mind at rest, putting the lid back onto his pen. ‘Is it anything urgent?’</p><p>‘No, no.’ Grell waved her hands reassuringly, then closed the door and made her way to the front of his desk. Her steps were slow, almost as if she were intentionally lingering or attempting to taunt him in some way.</p><p>‘Then why are you here?’</p><p>
  <em>Put my mind at rest before I lose it.</em>
</p><p>She tilted her head and smirked at him. Oh, that was a bad sign.</p><p>‘I wanted to thank you for the beautiful gift,’ she said, her voice as smooth as the silk the corset had been delicately crafted from.</p><p>William was glad that he had set his new pen aside, else he was sure he would have snapped it.</p><p>‘I have absolutely no idea what you are referring to, Grell,’ he answered plainly, but he dared not lift his gaze to meet hers in case she were to see straight through his act. Instead, her kept his eyes glued to the paperwork, yes, the paperwork that needed filling, that needed to be done before the break—</p><p>Grell’s gloved hands entered his vision as they pressed down upon the desk. She was now leaning forwards across it and towards him, her red hair cascading down her form to brush against his fingertips. He had removed his own gloves to ease the task of writing by hand, and now he wished he had never done so, for now he could feel just how soft those red locks were, and he swore he could smell the soft aromas of cocoa butter and roses from her conditioner.</p><p>‘Don’t you, my dear?’ William heard her purr, then saw one of her hands disappear, only to return holding a small piece of paper. ‘You forgot the receipt inside the box, the receipt with <em>your</em>’—she poked his chest—‘name on it.’</p><p>‘<em>What?!</em>’ William looked up and grabbed the paper from her grasp, causing her to break into a fit of laughter. He scanned it within seconds; yes, that was his handwriting, and <em>his name!</em> But he felt certain that he had checked for such eventualities. Unless—</p><p>‘Curse that boy!’ he muttered.</p><p>‘That boy? Oh!’ This caused Grell to stop laughing. She pressed her fingertips to her lips, her eyes wide and full of happiness. ‘Did you ask Ronald to help you, to make sure you’d get something nice?’</p><p>‘Grell—’</p><p>But she couldn’t hear him over the butterflies in her stomach. ‘Oh, dearest Will! You were so determined to get me something special, weren’t you!’</p><p>‘It was a Secret Santa requirement, nothing more,’ said William, trying to cover his rapidly blushing cheeks by adjusting his spectacles.</p><p>‘Oh, was it, now?’ Grell returned to her position of leaning over his desk. This time, William was looking up, and he could see all of the love—and lust—filling her gaze as their green irises met. ‘You see, my dear, getting something that nice wasn’t really a requirement at all. Othello buys his Secret Santa a box of liquorice every year, which I find to be absolutely foul, but he has no intention of stopping any time soon. So, you see,’ she purred, confidently tilting William’s face up with a finger, ‘I think you <em>wanted </em>to buy me something nice.’</p><p>For a split second, the image of Grell wearing what he had bought for her entered his mind. He quickly mentally shook it away.</p><p>‘Are you blaming me for wanting to be considerate with a gift?’ His voice was as stoic as ever, but he had realised that he had no choice but to admit that yes, perhaps, he <em>had </em>wanted to buy her something nice. Although, he wasn’t going to explicitly admit this.</p><p>‘Oh, no, not at all,’ she said with a smirk. William had yet to shake himself of Grell’s fingertip beneath his chin. ‘In fact, I am very, <em>very </em>grateful.’</p><p>Their faces were barely inches apart, their phosphorescent eyes still locked, with Grell’s gazing down at William, and the dark-haired reaper peering up at the redhead before him. With a start, he realised just how close they actually were, how Grell would absolutely be admiring the red flourishing on his face, and he promptly leaned backwards in his chair, breaking the contact.</p><p>‘Well, I’m glad,’ he said, adjusting his spectacles, keeping his voice as level as possible. ‘But if that is all you came to say, then I have work to do.’</p><p>Grell leaned back also, her hands returning to her hips, and an acknowledgement of victory on her features. ‘Of course,’ she purred. ‘See you around, Will!’</p><p>She strode out of the room, her hips swaying just a little more than usual, and before long, the sound of her red heels had faded into the distance, carrying her down the corridor.</p><p>Once he knew for certain that she had left, William groaned and leaned his forehead against his desk.</p><p>
  <em>Curse that boy!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>At this point, William T. Spears had established that he was never, ever, going to catch a break.</p><p>It was the next evening, and the dark-haired reaper found himself standing in front of the door to Grell Sutcliff’s quarters. Why? Because he was certain that that mischievous redhead had <em>purposefully </em>left her work that she had been meant to take home in the Dispatch, just so that <em>he </em>would bring it back for her.</p><p>He wasn’t going to stress upon the fact that he could have sent literally any subordinate reaper in his place, nor the fact that, deep down, he was quite endeared by this trick she had concocted just to spend time with him.</p><p>And yet, he was dreading what the second half of her plan was going to be.</p><p>With a sigh, William knocked on the door, and a few seconds later, there came the familiar muffled voice.</p><p>‘Yes, who is it?’</p><p>‘You know who it is, Sutcliff.’</p><p>‘Will! Did I forget my work in my office? How sweet of you to return it!’</p><p>William sighed again. There was no use in arguing with her. ‘Hurry up and open the door so I can return it, then.’</p><p>‘Oh, I’m not sure that’s a good idea, darling. I don’t think my current outfit is awfully <em>professional</em>.’</p><p>William had to control the urge to groan impatiently. ‘What is <em>that </em>supposed to mean?’</p><p>‘Oh, you know <em>exactly </em>what it is that I’m wearing, dear Will.’</p><p>That stopped the reaper in his tracks. Was she—no, don’t think about it. You’re here to return her work, and then you shall leave, no questions asked.</p><p>After a brief silence, William realised that, just perhaps, he could play somewhat of her own game against her. ‘Well, if you do not want to open the door, I shall leave the work out here and you can collect it when you’re ready. Goodnight, Sutcliff.’</p><p>He immediately heard a muffled cry from inside the room, and he smirked. Yes, he knew that would do it.</p><p>
  <em>But oh, at what cost.</em>
</p><p>The door was gently opened, and every single word William could have thought to say instantly dried up in his throat.</p><p>Dressed in all the items William had picked out for her (with Ronald’s assistance), and nothing but those items, was Grell. She had removed her heeled boots, making her a few inches shorter than usual, and this forced her green irises, forever framed by her red spectacles, to peer up at William through her soft, crimson fringe and dark lashes. In place of the boots were a pair of dainty black stockings, with red lace at the hem on her lean, pale thighs, as well as one thin red bow on each one. Her hands and arms were bare, and William could see her delicately manicured red nails where usually they would be concealed by her black gloves. A black choker decorated with rubies adorned her neck, and her hair was swept over one shoulder, and William could see the pale, bare skin of her neck on the other side almost shining in contrast with the soft black fabric of the accessory. She was bracing herself against the door with one arm on each side, so a third of her body was concealed by it, and it didn’t take a genius to know that it was because, despite all of her flirtatiousness and confidence and cunning in regards to getting him here in the first place, she was still a little nervous about being so exposed. Had William been a chivalrous romantic, he would have reassured her that there was no reason for her to be, that she looked truly beautiful, covered in his gifts. Alas, he was not, and all he could do was stare at her beauty, blushing furiously at the sight, but partially hoping that she would notice how mesmerising she was and regain some of that eternally attractive confidence of hers.</p><p>Thankfully, she finally did, and a soft smile broke out on her features. She took a tentative step from where she had been partially concealed by the door, and William finally beheld the full sight of her in her corset. The lady who owned the store had done a marvellous job of dyeing it red, with the embroidered patterns becoming black instead, transforming the once pure and virtuous white garment into a stunning combination of love and lust. It fit Grell perfectly; it had shaped itself to her form, and the lace skirt, now an attractive shade of dark crimson, complimented her lean figure in ways William was nowhere near poetic enough to describe.</p><p>Grell grinned now, her shark-like teeth showing, as she was wholly enjoying being admired so delicately. ‘You had some work for me, Will?’ she teased.</p><p>William quickly snapped out of his thoughts. ‘Yes, here.’ He held out the papers to her, lowering his gaze.</p><p>‘Could you put them on the desk for me?’</p><p>The dark-haired reaper cocked an eyebrow, lifting his eyes again. ‘Are you unable of carrying them there yourself?’</p><p>Grell took a step towards him and leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms, still grinning. ‘I could, but as you can see, I’m all ready for bed, now.’</p><p>William sighed, but the corner of his lip couldn’t help but be tugged into a tiny smile of his own. ‘Of course,’ he replied sarcastically, and stepped into the bedroom, utterly unsurprised when he heard Grell close the door.</p><p>He could smell the rose-scented candles she had lit, and he made a mental note of roses being her favourite flower as he lay the papers on the desk, just beside what he presumed to be a bag of makeup. William had noticed that she had not been wearing any lipstick, and he couldn’t help but find that change to give her appearance a certain softness.</p><p>‘Do you know what I love the most about these clothes, Will?’ she said suddenly, now leaning against one of her bedposts.</p><p>‘What’s that?’ he answered, humouring her, though genuinely curious.</p><p>‘The bow.’ She toyed with it delicately, running her manicured fingertips across the velvety ribbon. ‘Because when someone undoes it, I can feel like I’m a beautiful gift to the world!’</p><p>‘You are.’</p><p>
  <em>Shit!</em>
</p><p>Both reapers stopped in their tracks. William couldn’t believe he’d managed to say that out loud.</p><p>‘I—forget what I said,’ he quickly muttered, adjusting his spectacles. ‘I shall leave you, now. Goodnight, Sutcliff—’</p><p>‘I am?’</p><p>William stole a glance at her face.</p><p>Oh, how could he leave her, now?</p><p>She had cupped her hands over her mouth and her eyes seemed to be shining—with happiness or tears, William couldn’t tell. It didn’t take long for him to find out the answer, though, as she then removed her hands to reveal an ecstatic smile, and he could clearly see her eyes now welling up. Both, then.</p><p>‘Why are you acting so surprised at such a remark?’ he asked, genuinely curious but feigning indifference. ‘You compliment yourself quite regularly at work.’</p><p>‘Yes, but…’ She shook her head with a laugh. ‘It’s different when someone else says it.’</p><p>William could almost feel his heart arching. She truly was that happy about being called beautiful?</p><p>‘Well, then,’ he started. ‘I expect you to believe your own words in the future. The next time you call yourself beautiful, you should rest assured that you are right. If you cannot trust in your own words, whose can you.’</p><p>Grell was stunned silent, remaining against the bedpost as William then took a step forward. Wait, what is he doing? Too late, now.</p><p>‘However,’ he continued. ‘If it would aid you, I would be willing to remind you of that fact.’ He tried phrasing it in a way that could be passed off as a co-worker wanting another co-worker to work in a good mental state, but who was he kidding? No number of façades could save him now.</p><p>Ever so gently, Grell stepped from her position against the bedpost, approaching Will until their faces were barely inches apart, like they had been in his office just a day prior. The dark-haired reaper tried to read the expression on her face, but it held a marvellous lack of anything, her gaze firmly fixed on his and ignorant of anything else.</p><p>‘Remind me again,’ she whispered.</p><p>At a first glance, one would have believed her expression to be stone-like, but there was a hint of something strong and pure in those emerald eyes. A yearning. A plea.</p><p>William took another look at her before replying. Yes, the dark of her mascara contrasted so beautifully with the natural pink of her lips, and the reaper didn’t think he had ever seen the redhead look so tender. Usually, she was an amalgamation of wit, boldness and allure, but here, standing before him, her skin beautifully exposed yet encased in an outfit <em>he </em>had chosen for <em>her</em>, she seemed like one of the roses she adored so. None of her wit or boldness had disappeared, nor would William ever want them to, but her allure had transformed from being motivated by lust to being <em>so</em> <em>genuinely pretty </em>that William didn’t quite know what to do with himself.</p><p>‘You are, without a shadow of a doubt, the most beautiful gift that the world could have asked for.’</p><p>Before he could process it, Grell had gently cupped his face with her hands and reached up on her tip-toes to place a kiss upon his lips. She then pulled back, looking surprised at what she had just done, and seemed about to apologise when Will, throwing the last ounce of his reservations out of the metaphorical, put a tender hand on the small of her back, and leaned down to return that precious contact.</p><p>Their kiss was lingering, tender and affectionate. Grell wrapped her arms around Will’s neck, threading her fingers through his short, dark hair, secretly revelling in the knowledge that his prim and proper hairstyle would be handsomely ruffled. Similarly, Will was stroking the mane of red that was tumbling down her back. He rubbed gentle circles into her hip with his thumb on his other hand, and when Grell sighed against his lips, his hold on her waist grew that little bit tighter, pulling her to stand flush against his chest. He could feel her smiling into the kiss. He was never going to hear the end of this, was he?</p><p>After what felt like an age—although Will would have been more than willing to wait another—it was Grell who pulled back from the kiss, and she grinned when she noticed how Will leaned down in an attempt to chase her lips. ‘Now, now, Mr Spears, don’t you have work tomorrow morning?’</p><p>‘So do you,’ he grumbled. He could feel the heat radiating from his face, and he <em>knew </em>that Grell would have made sure to ruffle his hair, so he was certain that he not only sounded but looked just as intoxicated as he felt.</p><p>She chuckled. ‘You’re right, but you know I like to be fashionably late.’</p><p>‘You certainly do,’ Will said with a sigh, but his tone was filled with nothing but endearment.</p><p>She traced a finger across his cheekbone and down his jaw, following the line with her gaze, admiring the flush she had given him. ‘You know, <em>you </em>could be fashionably late too, for once.’ She peered back up at him. The words had been innocent, but both reapers knew what she was insinuating.</p><p>In their many years of knowing each other, Grell had thrown countless innuendos and fantasies in Will’s direction, but this was the first time that the dark-haired reaper was genuinely considering one. He was well-respected in their Division, and never missed a shift, so he could easily call in sick.</p><p>The fact was, the absolute last thing he wanted was to let go of the beautiful flame he currently held in his grasp.</p><p>But no, he thought at last. Not yet, at least.</p><p>‘I must regretfully decline,’ he said softly. Then, he accorded her a small smile. ‘You can ask me on another night, though.’</p><p>Will had been afraid of upsetting her, but the grin that broke out on her face quelled those fears instantly. ‘You mean there will be another night?!’</p><p>‘I did not spend a ridiculous sum of money on those clothes to only see them once.’</p><p>Grell threw her head back and laughed wholeheartedly, causing a quiet chuckle to rise in Will’s throat as well. Then, she promptly escaped his hold and began shooing him towards the door.</p><p>‘Then you should go now, because the sooner you leave, the sooner I can begin longing for your return!’</p><p>He sighed, but the corners of his lips were still adorned with a small smile. ‘Very well.’ He opened the door and took a step out into the corridor, then turned to face the redhead one more time, taking in her beauty yet again. A thought crossed his mind. Should he—yes, he should.</p><p>Will leaned forward and pressed a small kiss to Grell’s forehead.</p><p>‘Goodnight, Miss Sutcliff.’</p><p>The brightness of Grell’s smile could have lit up the whole world.</p><p>‘Goodnight, Mr Spears.’</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i know i make grell laugh a lot and she doesn't often laugh in canon... but she deserves to have a handsome man make her laugh so fight me</p><p>also do u ever think about how grell is FOUR INCHES SHORTER without her heels??? height difference simps RISE!!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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